H.264 (also called MPEG-4 part 10) is an emerging video coding standard. Because the syntax of an H.264 bitstream is significantly more complex than any other previous video coding standard, such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 part 2, existing approaches for visualizing bitstream elements cannot be used. An existing implementation of an H.264 decoder published by the MPEG group (called the JM code) has trace file functionality. The trace file functionality produces a text file containing information about the syntax elements of the bitstream. Because the trace file generated by the JM code is in a text format, working with the information can be very difficult. Correlating the bitstream syntax elements in the text file with the decoded video for verifying that specific syntax elements were used at specific locations in the decoded video can be especially difficult.
A solution that allows correlation of H.264 bitstream syntax elements with specific locations in the decoded video would be desirable.